Dr. David Fisher
Professor
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto
Topic: Cleft Palate
Invited Lecture
Professor David Fisher reviewed the current principles of cleft palate management, covering the multidisciplinary treatment protocol from infancy to skeletal maturity, the objectives of primary palatoplasty, and the evolution of surgical techniques. The lecture emphasized balancing optimal speech outcomes with preservation of maxillofacial growth, presented risk factors associated with velopharyngeal insufficiency, and discussed evidence supporting individualized surgical decision-making. Contemporary procedures, including Furlow palatoplasty, von Langenbeck palatoplasty, sphincter pharyngoplasty, pharyngeal flap, and Clarke hybrid repair, were reviewed according to cleft morphology, velopharyngeal closure patterns, and defect severity to optimize functional outcomes.